JP5078495B2 - Carrier driving mechanism, recording apparatus and reading apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a carrier driving mechanism capable of reciprocating with respect to an apparatus, and a recording apparatus and a reading apparatus using the driving mechanism.

  Recording devices that record images on a recording medium such as paper with a recording head based on image information, and reading devices such as scanners that read originals are widely used not only in computer systems and workstations, but also in consumer devices. Has been. Such a recording apparatus or reading apparatus is generally configured to record an image on a recording medium or read an original by reciprocating a carrier having a recording head or an image reading sensor within a predetermined range in the apparatus main body. Has been. As a driving mechanism for moving the carrier, a system is used in which a motor is fixed to the apparatus main body side of the recording apparatus or the reading apparatus, and the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the carrier via a transmission means such as a timing belt. In this type of drive mechanism, guide means for reciprocating the carrier along a guide shaft fixed to the apparatus main body side is used.

  The guide means such as the guide shaft is a rigid body that does not bend or twist, and when the guide means and the transmission means are integrated, the transmission means is also constituted by a rigid body. When the transmission means is composed of a rigid body, when external vibrations or impacts are applied to the apparatus body, the transmission means smash each other between the apparatus body side and the carrier side, resulting in scratches or dents, There is a possibility of deformation. As means for solving such inconvenience, Patent Document 1 discloses a carrier driving mechanism using a lead screw. In this drive mechanism, the carrier convex portion is engaged with the spiral guide groove of the lead screw, and the carrier is moved in the axial direction by rotationally driving the lead screw. According to the drive mechanism using this lead screw, the carrier can be reciprocated with high accuracy.

In a device provided with such a lead screw type drive mechanism, the convex portion of the carrier is engaged with a guide groove dedicated to the stop position when the device is in a stopped state such as when the device is stored or when the device is transported. On the other hand, external vibrations and impacts act on the apparatus body when the apparatus is stopped, such as during storage or transportation. Therefore, when the carrier is in a stopped state, there is nothing that contacts the spiral guide groove in the range where high-precision carrier feeding is required, so there are scratches and dents due to vibration and impact in this range of the carrier. It does not occur or deform.
JP 05-169647 A

  However, in the above lead screw type drive mechanism, since the convex portion of the carrier is engaged with the guide groove dedicated to the stop position, vibrations and impacts acting on the apparatus main body during transportation and the like are passed through this convex portion. There was a possibility of smashing between the apparatus main body side and the carrier side. For this reason, the drive transmission means may be scratched or dented, or the drive transmission means may be deformed.

  The present invention has been made in view of such technical problems. An object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of scratches, dents, and deformation due to heavy hitting in the drive transmission means for reciprocating the carrier even when external vibration or impact acts on the apparatus. The drive mechanism is provided. It is another object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus and a reading apparatus using such a carrier driving mechanism.

The present invention provides a carrier drive mechanism that can reciprocate with respect to the apparatus main body, a drive unit mounted on the carrier, a first drive transmission unit and a second drive transmission unit that can be rotationally driven by the drive unit, A third drive transmission means, a fifth drive transmission means, and a fourth drive transmission means are arranged in order in the movement direction of the carrier, and the first drive transmission means is in the third drive transmission range within the carrier movement range. A first movement region that engages with the second drive transmission means, a second movement region with which the second drive transmission means engages with the fourth drive transmission means, the first drive transmission means, A second movement transmitting means that engages the fifth driving transmission means so as to be capable of driving transmission; and in the first movement area, the second driving transmission means is moved from the third drive transmission means. Separated and said In moving region, wherein the first drive transmission means is separated from said fourth drive transmission means.

  According to the present invention, even if external vibration or impact acts on the apparatus, the carrier that can prevent the occurrence of scratches, dents, and deformation due to heavy hitting in the drive transmission means for reciprocating the carrier. A driving mechanism is provided. Furthermore, a recording apparatus and a reading apparatus using such a carrier driving mechanism are provided.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals denote the same or corresponding parts throughout the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a recording apparatus having a carrier driving mechanism according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a carrier driving mechanism in FIG. This embodiment shows a case where the recording apparatus is an apparatus provided with a carrier. In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 101 denotes an apparatus main body, reference numeral 102 denotes a conveyance roller for conveying a sheet material 406 such as recording paper as a recording medium, and reference numeral 103 denotes a pinch roller for pressing the sheet material 406 against the conveyance roller 102. The pinch roller 103 is supported by the holder 104. Reference numeral 105 denotes a paper discharge roller that conveys the sheet material in the direction of arrow A by being driven in synchronization with the conveyance roller 102.

  A platen 121 for supporting the sheet material 406 is disposed between the transport roller 102 and the paper discharge roller 105. A carrier 110 on which the recording head 111 is mounted is supported at a position corresponding to the platen 121 so as to be capable of reciprocating in the arrow B direction. The apparatus main body 101 is provided with guide members 112 and 106, and the carrier 110 is provided with guide portions 110F and 110B. The carrier 10 is guided and supported so as to be slidable on the guide members 112 and 106 via the guide portions 110F and 110B. These guide portions and guide members constitute guide means for the carrier 110.

  Next, a drive mechanism of the carrier 110 that can reciprocate with respect to the apparatus will be described. The carrier 110 is equipped with a reciprocating drive unit 110M. The drive unit 110M is configured by a motor, and the carrier 110 is mounted with a pinion 108 that is driven by the motor. In the present embodiment, the pinion 108 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 110. The pinion 108 driven by the driving unit 110M is composed of two pinions 108a and 108b arranged on the same axis. Here, the pinion 108a constitutes a first drive transmission means mounted on the carrier 110 so as to be rotationally driven by the drive unit 110M. The pinion 108b constitutes second drive transmission means mounted on the carrier 110 so as to be rotationally driven by the drive unit 110M.

  On the surface of the guide member 112 provided in the apparatus main body 101, a rack 107 configured to be able to engage with the pinion 108 in a manner described below is provided. The rack 107 includes a rack 107a disposed to be engageable only with the pinion 108a, a rack 107b disposed to be engageable only with the pinion 108b, and a rack 107c engageable with both the pinions 108a and 108b. I have. The rack 107a and the rack 107b are arranged so as to be shifted in the arrow B direction and the vertical direction due to the positional relationship between the pinion 108a and the pinion 108b. Therefore, the rack 108a is provided in a range that covers an area in which the carrier 110 moves for recording, and the rack 108b is provided in an area that is not involved in recording including the home position of the carrier 110 and the like. The rack 107c forms a common portion in an area connecting the rack 107a and the rack 107b that are shifted in the vertical direction.

  The rack 107 and the pinion 108 can be engaged with each other while always maintaining a constant distance on the pitch circle by the guide portion 110F of the carrier 110 being guided along the guide member 112. In addition, the carrier 110 on which the recording head 111 is mounted reciprocates in the direction of arrow B along the rack 107 by rotationally driving the pinion 108 by the driving unit 110M. As described above, the carrier drive mechanism includes the third drive transmission means including the rack 107a fixed to the apparatus main body and the fourth drive transmission means including the rack 107b fixed to the apparatus main body. Furthermore, a fifth drive transmission means including a rack 107c fixed between the rack 107a and the rack 107b is provided. The fifth drive transmission means is disposed between the third drive transmission means and the fourth drive transmission means in the direction of carrier movement.

  Therefore, the following movement range of the carrier 110 is provided with the following first movement area, second movement area, and third movement area. The first movement area is an area where the pinion 108a engages with the rack 107a so as to be able to transmit driving, and is an area where the carrier 110 during the recording operation reciprocates. The second movement area is an area where the pinion 108b engages with the rack 107b so as to be able to transmit drive. This second movement area is an area including a position where the carrier 110 stops at a time other than the recording operation such as when the apparatus is stored or transported, such as the home position of the carrier 110. The third movement area is a common area for communicating the two movement areas between the first movement area and the second movement area. In the third movement region, both the pinion 108a and the pinion 108b engage with the rack 107c so as to be able to transmit power. A rack continuous with the rack 107a is formed in the upper part of the rack 107c, and a rack continuous with the rack 107b is formed in the lower part. Here, in the first movement area, the pinion 108b is separated from the rack 107a, and in the second movement area, the pinion 108a is separated from the rack 107b.

  The recording apparatus of the present embodiment is an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording by selectively ejecting ink from a plurality of ejection ports arranged on the ejection surface of the recording head 111 based on image information. Near the home position of the carrier 110 in the apparatus main body 101, a cap 109 that is in close contact with the ejection surface of the recording head 111 by a drive mechanism (not shown) when the carrier 110 returns to the home position is disposed. The cap 109 is for protecting the ejection surface and reducing ink evaporation from the ejection port.

  FIG. 3 is an external perspective view when recording is performed by the recording apparatus of FIG. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view when the recording head is replaced in the recording apparatus of FIG. 3 and 4, 401 is an exterior cover that covers the apparatus main body 101, 402 is an open / close cover that is opened when the recording head 111 on the carrier 110 is replaced, and 403 is a supply for setting the recording medium 406 at the paper feed position. It is a paper guide. Reference numeral 404 denotes a paper discharge port for discharging the recorded recording medium 406, 405 denotes a power switch, and A denotes an arrow indicating the conveyance direction of the recording medium.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the recording head as viewed from the bottom side. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the recording head as viewed from the rear. 5 and 6, reference numeral 601 denotes a clue when the recording head 111 is attached and detached, and reference numeral 602 denotes a convex portion for fixing the recording head 111 to the carrier 110 in cooperation with the engaging portion of the carrier 110. Reference numeral 603 denotes an ink discharge portion having a discharge surface formed with a discharge port array in which a plurality of discharge ports are arranged at a predetermined pitch. Reference numeral 604 denotes a terminal that transmits an electrical signal to the recording head 111 by contacting the terminal substrate on the carrier 110 side. It is a substrate. An electrical signal from the control board of the apparatus main body 101 is transmitted to the substrate of the carrier 110 via a flexible cable.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view for explaining the relationship between positions in the carrier movement range of the recording apparatus of FIG. In FIG. 7, the position and movement section of the carrier 110 are shown based on the position of the ink discharge portion 603 (specifically, the discharge port array in which a plurality of discharge ports are arranged) of the recording head 111 mounted on the carrier 110. In FIG. 7, sections 2B to 2C are recording sections that can actually be recorded on the sheet material 406, and sections 2A to 2B and sections 2C to 2D are acceleration / deceleration sections of the carrier 110 on both sides of the recording section, respectively. The position 2E is the home position of the carrier 110. When the carrier 110 is stopped at this home position, the cap 109 is raised and brought into close contact with the discharge surface, thereby sealing the discharge ports (rows) and protecting the ink discharge portion 603.

  When carrier 110 is in position 2A, pinion 108 is in position 2F, pinion 108a is engaged with rack 107a, and pinion 108b is separated without engaging any rack. When the carrier 110 moves from the position 2A to the position 2B, the pinion 108a and the rack 107a remain engaged. That is, when the carrier 110 is on the right side of the figure from the position 2A, the pinion 108a and the rack 107a are only engaged.

  On the other hand, when the carrier 110 moves from the position 2A to the position 2E, the pinion 108a and the rack 107a mesh with each other up to the range of the rack 107c. In the range of the rack 107c, the pinion 108b is also engaged with the rack 107b. In other words, the rack 107c has both an extension of the rack 107a and an extension of the rack 107b, and both the pinion 108a and the pinion 108b mesh with the rack 107 at the same time within the range of the rack 107c. Only the rack 107b is provided on the left side of the rack 107c in the figure. Therefore, when the carrier 110 further moves to the left side in the drawing and the pinions 108a and 108b pass through the rack 107c, the pinion 108b only meshes with the rack 107b, and the pinion 108a is separated. When the carrier 110 comes to the home position of the position 2E, the pinion 108b meshes with the rack 107b at the position 2G, but the pinion 108a has no mating partner and remains separated.

  Therefore, when the carrier 110 is in the range of positions 2A to 2D, which is a movement range necessary for recording, the pinion 108a and the rack 107a are engaged with each other. When the carrier 110 is stopped at the home position 2E, the pinion 108a can be separated only by engaging the pinion 108b with the rack 107b. Here, in the range where the pinion 108a and the rack 107a mesh, it is necessary to move the carrier 110 with high accuracy for the recording operation. For this reason, the pinion 108a and the rack 107a need to be created with high accuracy. This meshing that requires high accuracy is removed when the carrier 110 is in the home position 2E.

  According to such a configuration, when the device is stored or transported, the pinion 108a and the rack 107a are not in contact with each other. Therefore, even if an external vibration or impact acts on the device body, the vibration or impact is not affected by the pinion 108a. There is no transmission to the rack 107a. For this reason, the drive mechanism which does not generate | occur | produce the damage | wound, dents, and deformation | transformation which have a bad influence on the high precision movement of the carrier 110 is obtained.

  The pinion 108b and the rack 107b are engaged with each other when the carrier 110 is in the home position. However, when vibration or impact is applied to the drive transmission unit, there is no influence on the high-precision movement of the carrier 110. Absent. This is because even if the pinion 108b and the rack 107b that are not involved in the recording operation are scratched, dented or deformed, no problem occurs unless the carrier 110 cannot move due to destruction or the like. That is, if the carrier 110 can be moved to the region of the rack 107c where the pinion 108a and the rack 107a mesh with each other, there is no influence on the high-precision movement of the carrier 110.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view when one pinion 108a and the rack 107a are engaged with each other in the pinion rack in FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the pinion rack in FIG. 7 when the other pinion 10b and the rack 107b are engaged with each other. 8 and 9, in this embodiment, when involute teeth are used as the pinion 108 and the rack 107, the pinions 108a and 108b and the racks 107a and 107b are configured with the same module tooth profile. If the pitch circle diameters of the pinions 108a and 108b are the same, the distance between the axes of the pinions 108a and 108b and the racks 107a and 107b meshing with them may be constant. The phase of the tooth profile of the pinions 108a and 108b and the phase of the tooth profile of the racks 107a and 107b are set to the same value.

  Here, the pinions 108a and 108b can be formed with different tooth shapes if the pitch circle diameter is the same. In that case, the corresponding racks 107a and 107b are similarly formed with tooth shapes of different modules. In this way, if the pinion and rack modules that are engaged with each other are combined, the engagement between the pinion and the rack in the rack 107c can be smoothly switched without changing the inter-axis distance. That is, even when the pinion and rack modules engaged in each movement region of the carrier 110 are different, the carrier 110 can be moved by smoothly switching the engagement as long as the pitch circle is the same.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a case where the pinion and the rack for switching meshing in the pinion rack of FIGS. 8 and 9 are formed with tooth shapes of different modules. In the drive mechanism shown in FIG. 10, the two pairs of drive transmission means engaged with each other have involute tooth shapes whose modules are different from each other. 10, the pinion 108a in FIGS. 8 and 9 is left as it is, and the pinion 108b is changed to a pinion 708b having a large tooth profile. Further, the rack 108b is left as it is, and the rack 107b is similarly changed to a rack 707b having a large tooth profile. And the rack 107c is changed into the rack 707c comprised by the tooth profile from which a module differs vertically. That is, the rack of the same module as the pinion 108a is formed in the upper part of the rack 107c, and the rack of the same large module as the pinion 708b is formed in the lower part. In this way, by making the module at the home position 2E of the carrier 110 larger than the module in the recording operation area, the strength of the drive transmission unit against vibration and impact acting on the apparatus main body 101 can be improved.

  In the above embodiment, the case where a pinion and a rack are used as the drive transmission means for moving the carrier has been described. However, this is a drive transmission means of another configuration as long as it is a mechanism that can be moved by rotational drive. But it ’s okay. For example, a mechanism for sequentially engaging convex portions and concave portions (or openings) formed at a predetermined pitch, a mechanism for rotating one of the convex portions and a spiral groove, and the like can be used.

  In the above embodiments, the carrier driving mechanism in the ink jet recording apparatus using the ink jet recording head that performs recording by discharging ink based on the image information has been described as an example. The present invention is a recording apparatus of another recording system, such as a thermal transfer system, a thermal sensor system, a laser beam system, and a wire dot system, as long as it is a recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium by a recording head mounted on a reciprocating carrier. The same applies to the above. Further, the carrier driving mechanism according to the present invention can be similarly applied to the carrier driving mechanism in a reading apparatus that reads an image of a document by a reading sensor mounted on a reciprocally movable carrier. Further, the present invention can be similarly applied to a recording device or a reading device in a complex apparatus or a system configuration in addition to a single recording device such as a printer, a facsimile, or a copying machine, or a single reading device such as a scanner. It is. Regarding the material of the recording medium, various materials such as paper, plastic sheet, OHP sheet, cloth, photographic printing paper can be used.

1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a recording apparatus including a carrier driving mechanism according to the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the drive mechanism of the carrier in FIG. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view when recording is performed by the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view when a recording head is replaced in the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the recording head as viewed from the bottom side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the recording head as viewed from the rear. FIG. 2 is a plan view for explaining the relationship between positions in a carrier movement range of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the pinion rack in FIG. 7 when one pinion 108a and the rack 107a are engaged with each other. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the pinion rack in FIG. 7 when the other pinion 10b and the rack 107b are engaged with each other. It is a perspective view which shows another structural example of the pinion rack in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

101 Device (device main body)
106, 112 Guide member 107 Rack 107a Third drive transmission means (rack)
107b Fourth drive transmission means (rack)
107c Fifth drive transmission means (rack)
108 pinion 108a first drive transmission means (pinion)
108b Second drive transmission means (pinion)
110 Carrier 110B, 110F Guide part 110M Drive part (motor)
111 Recording head (inkjet recording head)
406 Recording medium (sheet material)

Claims (10)

In the carrier drive mechanism that can reciprocate with respect to the device body,
A drive unit mounted on the carrier;
First drive transmission means and second drive transmission means that can be rotationally driven by the drive unit ,
A third drive transmission means, a fifth drive transmission means and a fourth drive transmission means are arranged in order in the moving direction of the carrier,
A first movement region where the first drive transmission means engages with the third drive transmission means in a movable range of the carrier, and the second drive transmission means communicates with the fourth drive transmission means. A second movement region that engages with the first drive transmission unit, and a third movement region with which the first drive transmission unit and the second drive transmission unit engage with the fifth drive transmission unit so that the drive transmission can be performed ,
In the first movement area, the second drive transmission means is separated from the third drive transmission means, and in the second movement area, the first drive transmission means is separated from the fourth drive transmission means. A carrier drive mechanism characterized by comprising: The carrier driving mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the first movement region is a region in which the carrier is moved with high accuracy. The carrier driving mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the second movement region includes a home position for stopping the carrier. It said first drive transmitting means and the second drive transmission means driving mechanism of the carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a pinion. 5. The carrier drive mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the third drive transmission means and the fourth drive transmission means are racks.   6. The carrier drive mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the pinion of the first drive transmission means and the pinion of the second drive transmission means have the same pitch circle diameter. The carrier according to claim 6 , wherein the first drive transmission unit, the third drive transmission unit, the second drive transmission unit, and the fourth drive transmission unit have involute tooth shapes having different modules. Drive mechanism. A recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by a recording head mounted on a reciprocating carrier, wherein the carrier is driven using the driving mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7. Recording device. The recording apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the recording head is an ink jet recording head that ejects ink based on image information. In reading apparatus for reading an image of an original by mounting the reading sensor to the reciprocally movable carrier, wherein the carrier is read, characterized in that is driven using a driving mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7 apparatus.

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